1002-1          SELF-SUFFICIENCY PLANNING REQUIREMENTS

Clients must plan on achieving self-sufficiency as soon as possible because of the urgency of the 60-month lifetime limit on Temporary Assistance benefits. To achieve this goal, every adult who is included in an assistance unit must develop, sign, and comply with an FSSPFamily Self Sufficiency Plan. In a two-parent family, both parents must sign and develop their own FSSPFamily Self Sufficiency Plan, see ATAP MS 720-5. An individual who does not develop, sign, and comply with a FSSPFamily Self Sufficiency Plan as required may be subject to benefit reductions, see ATAP MS 723, WSPM MS 1006, and WSPM MS 1007.

Completing, updating, and documenting the FSSPFamily Self Sufficiency Plan (TA 2), in CMSCase Management System, are requirements of all Work Services providers.

Note:

Parents who are disqualified due to IPVIntentional Program Violation are required to develop an FSSPFamily Self Sufficiency Plan and engage in assigned activities, see ATAP MS 793. If supportive services are needed for the FSSPFamily Self Sufficiency Plan completion, they will be made available, WSPM MS 1004.

The following individuals are not included in the assistance unit and are therefore not required to develop an FSSPFamily Self Sufficiency Plan, however, they will be referred to Work Services and may voluntarily develop, sign, and comply with a FSSPFamily Self Sufficiency Plan:

• Ineligible aliens, see ATAP MS 770-5;
• Ineligible drug felons, see ATAP MS 770-7;
• The father in a 3rd trimester pregnant women case, see ATAP MS 770-2; and,
• Minor Parents, see ATAP MS 770-3 and WSPM MS 1002-1.

Unless an individual is exempt, see WSPM MS 1006, the FSSPFamily Self Sufficiency Plan must include a full schedule of work activities, see WSPM MS 1003-4.

Clients who are exempt from work activities are still required to engage in other activities, documented on the FSSPFamily Self Sufficiency Plan, that prepare the individual to participate in work activities when the exemption is no longer in place. These activities may include medical appointments, substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, and rehabilitation activities if said treatment will lead towards self-sufficiency and is deemed and documented as necessary by a health professional. If they do not participate satisfactorily in these activities, they can be penalized for not complying with their FSSPFamily Self Sufficiency Plan. A work activity (WA) penalty would be requested for non-compliance.